The kinetics behavior of the H+-sucrose (Suc) symporter was investigated in plasma membrane vesicles from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris 1.) leaves by analyzing the effect of externa1 and internal pH (pH. and pHi, respectively) on Suc uptake. l h e apparent K,,, for Suc uptake increased 18-fold as the pH. increased from 5.5 to 7.5. Over this same pH, range, the apparent VmaX for Suc uptake remained constant. l h e effects of pHi in the presence or absence of internal Suc were exclusively restrided to changes in Vmx. Thus, proton concentration on the inside of the membrane vesicles ([H+]i) behaved as a noncompetitive inhibitor of Suc uptake. l h e K,,, for the proton concentration on the outside of the membrane vesicles was estimated to be pH 6.3, which would indicate that at physiological apoplastic pH Suc transport might be sensitive to changes in pH,. On the other hand, the Suc transport across the PM is catalyzed by an H+-Suc symporter (Buckhout, 1989;Bush, 1989; Lemoine and Delrot, 1989; Williams et al., 1990). Transport is driven by the proton motive force established across the PM by the H+-ATPase in vivo and is electrogenic (Bush, 1990; Slone and Buckhout, 1991). The movement of H+ and Suc is tightly coupled with a stoichiometry of 1:l (Slone and Buckhout, 1991), and the carrier is specific for the Suc molecule, although phenylglucosides are also recognized by the carrier (Hecht et al., 1992). Finally, a gene encoding the H+-Suc symport protein was recently identified in spinach leaf cells (Riesmeier et al., 1992). In the plant, this transporter is responsible for phloem loading and, thus, photoassimilate export from leaves in many plant species (Giaquinta, 1983;Bush, 1993;Riesmeier et al., 1993).The membrane vesicle system offers the advantage for the kinetics analysis of transport processes that the driver ion and solute concentration on both sides of the vesicle mem- brane can be varied, and it has the further advantage that effects of tissue thickness and substrate access are eliminated (Ehwald et al., 1979). Determination of the kinetics parameters of a transport process can provide predictive insight into the behavior of the transporter in vivo. For example, if the apparent K, for [H' ], of the H+-Suc symporter is approximately equal to pH,, then changes in pH, could significantly affect the rate of Suc uptake. The same would hold true for for inhibition of uptake by [H+]i. Thus, a decrease in pH, might significantly inhibit Suc uptake, as is the case for H+-dependent C1-uptake in Chara (Sanders and Hansen, 1981).On the other hand, a single carrier might be involved in influx and efflux depending on the local concentrations of the ligands and the relative sensitivity of the carrier to changes in ligand concentration. Such macroscopic reversibility is found, for example, in the Na+-HC03-symporter in glial cells. This symporter catalyzes the movement of Na+ and HC03-with inward transport being stimulated by increasing concentration of HC03-outside of the membrane vesicles or by membrane depolarization, ...